Lesson Focus:† This lesson will assure you of Godís
continuing faithfulness among His followers, even among those who have made
poor choices.

Give Me What I Want: 1 Samuel 8:6-9.

[6]† But the thing
displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And
Samuel prayed to the LORD. [7]† And the
LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to
you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king
over them. [8]† According to all the
deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to
this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.

[9]† Now then, obey their
voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who
shall reign over them."† [ESV]

[1-5]† Samuel was a stronger and more gifted
character than Eli and his ministry was much wider. But it appears that Samuel
had not learned from Eliís failures as a father. The similarities between
Hophni and Phinehas and Samuelís two sons, Joel and Abijah, are striking and
again are almost certainly accentuated by the writer. The particular kind of
corruption may have been different, but the pattern is exactly the same: his sons did not walk in his ways but
turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice [3]. In
other words, they abused their position and misused their power in exactly the
same way as Eliís sons had done. They showed the same contempt for God, the law
and the people. They were clearly totally unsuitable for public service of any
kind, let alone as leaders of Godís people. Yet their father, in spite of his
own undoubted integrity and insight, was apparently unable to see them in their
true colors and actually appointed them as judges.The elders of Israel, the
tribal leaders, were well aware of Samuelís sonsí corrupt behavior. They come
to Samuel, asking the right questions. And their main motivation seems to be to
find a way forward for Israel that will enable them to live rightly as Godís
covenant people. The elders recognized that Samuelís style of leadership was
good, but his sons did not walk in his ways. Perhaps the appointment of a king
would provide a good replacement for Samuel and enable his kind of ministry to
continue. At this stage in Israelís history there was no formally agreed method
for a change of government; in fact, there was not really any formally
recognized national government at all. The nearest they got to it was the
gathering of the tribal elders and the sporadic leadership of judges and
prophets. Samuel could be seen simply as the latest and perhaps the best of
these judges. The elders came to Samuel asking him to appoint a king as an alternative
to the leadership of his own sons. That they came to Godís representative to
ask for a king suggests they were not primarily seeking to replace God as their
true national King. The concern that the elders expressed about the inadequacy
of Samuelís sons and the fact that they are looking for a king to judge them
seems to confirm this. However, the end of their request does introduce an
element of ambiguity. They want a king like
all the nations. This could simply be a way of describing what they meant
by a king, but the Lordís words in the next section strongly suggest that it
did include the desire to imitate the other nations who seem to be more
successful than them. We cannot avoid the implication that they thought that
trust in God was not quite enough.

[6-9]† Samuel was displeased by the eldersí request.
It seems clear that the main source of Samuelís displeasure was his own feeling
of rejection. But there was no suggestion of any rejection of Samuelís work in
the elderís request. Their problem was not with what had gone before but with
what might come next. At no point is there any suggestion that the facts the
elders brought to Samuel were wrong. He was old and his sons did not walk in
his ways. There is no doubt that some kind of change from the present position
was necessary. The problem was that the people had come to Samuel, not in order
to seek Godís help in finding a new way forward, which Deuteronomy 17 indicates
may indeed have been kingship, but to ask him to set in motion their own predetermined
solution. They were of the opinion that if they were to survive as a nation
they needed to have a recognized leader with the military abilities and the
international status that they thought a king would bring. The victory recorded
in chapter 7 had not convinced them that Godís power was sufficient. They were
not willing to trust God to be their Protector. They chose to walk by sight (a
physical king) rather than by faith (trust in the unseen God). Their motivation
may not have been entirely wrong, but verse 8 makes it abundantly clear that
they were still following their ancestors in forsaking the Lord and serving
other gods. They were, as God has pointed out to Samuel, still seeking security
in something other than following Godís path. In this case their dependence was
on kingship as a system of government which they perceived to have been at the
heart of the success of other nations. They may not have been intending to turn
away from God but they had failed to understand who God was, or the extent of
His sovereignty and power. Godís response to their request is noteworthy. First
He instructed Samuel to make sure that the people understood exactly what their
request involved. In appointing a king they would be opening themselves up to
tyranny. To grant even more power to an individual by creating a monarchy was
to risk even more corruption and oppression. In the event of such consequences
arising from a decision that they had freely and knowingly made, they would not
be entitled to ask God to bring them relief [18]. Once Samuel has made certain
that the people have heard the possible consequences of kingship, even if they
had refused to listen [19], then God assented to their request. He instructed
Samuel to give them a king. It is made very clear that the introduction of
kingship was in no way an actual threat to Godís sovereignty. God is still in
control and, in spite of his personal reservations, Samuel as Godís
representative was the one who would take charge of the process of appointing
and installing the king. In this way the institution of kingship can be seen as
a rejection of God by His people and yet at the same time also as a gift from
God to His people.

Consequences of My Choices:†
1 Samuel 12:13-19.

[13]† And now behold
the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has
set a king over you. [14]† If you will
fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will
follow the LORD your God, it will be well. [15]†
But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your
king. [16]† Now therefore stand still and
see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. [17]† Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call
upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see
that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in
asking for yourselves a king." [18]†
So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that
day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. [19]† And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray
for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added
to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king."† [ESV]

[10-17]† Beginning with the Torahís most famous
example of oppression, supplication, and deliverance Ė the Exodus event, Samuel
notes that though human agency was employed to accomplish the work, the
liberators acted at the Lordís bidding: He appoints [6], and He sent [8] them.
The Lord had provided this deliverance in response to their cry for help. The
Lordís acts of deliverance did not cease once Israel entered the Promised Land;
four of Samuelís five examples provide testimony to Godís active presence among
Israel within the land. Before mentioning these examples, however, the prophet
was careful to clarify the reason for Israelís need of rescue. It was not because
Israel served a weak god; rather, it was because Israel served a jealous and
just God. The nation had broken the first and most important requirement of the
Sinai covenant Ė they forgot the Lord
their God [9]. Having done so, the Lord brought upon them one of the
prescribed penalties of the covenant, foreign oppression. As a result of their
suffering and loss, Israel cried out to
the Lord [10]. Of great significance is the fact that their plea was not
expressed as an explicit call for help; instead, it was an admission that they
had violated the terms of the Sinai covenant. Their basic offense was twofold
and complementary in nature: we have
forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth [10].
Israelís troubles were the direct result of one fundamental sin; they had
violated the sacred relationship with their divine King. When they turned aside
from devotion to the Lord, the people had not created a spiritual vacuum in
their lives; instead, they had replaced the one God with many gods, filling
their lives with a polytheistic fertility cult marked by devotion to Canaanite
male and female deities. Yet when Israel repented, the Lord responded
graciously to the peoplesí pleas. In response to Israelís repentant words, the
Lord delivered them [11]. He did so by sending human agents who led them to
impressive victories over their enemies. These human deliverers Ė and the
freedom that they won for the nation Ė did not come as a result of the peopleís
demands; instead, they were the by-product of Israelís return to the Lord.
Israelís oft-repeated pattern of repentance and return to the Lord in the face
of a foreign threat was broken, however, in their demand for an earthly king
[12]. Instead of first repenting of their sin, with the certain knowledge that
the Lord would afterwards raise up a deliverer for them, they attempted to gain
the benefits of a right relationship without actually returning to Yahweh. Far
from being an act of repentance, their demand for a king [13] was an act of
insidious rebellion. Through their sin the people had chosen to have a king
such as all the other nations have [8:5], and the Lord set a king over them
[13]. Samuel recognized their act for what it was and warned the people of the
consequences of continued rebellion [15]. However, Samuel also makes it clear
that Israel could experience blessing under the new system of government, but
that blessing was possible only as long as the Lordís position of superiority
in society and religion was retained. Even the king must be a servant of the
Lord. Before the assembled group Samuel announced that the Lord would confirm
the prophetís indictment with a great
thing that the Lord will do before your eyes [16]. Though this convocation
was occurring during wheat harvest in the early part of the dry season
(May-June), at Samuelís request the Lord would send a rainstorm [17]. This
highly unusual meteorological event would be a sign, helping Israel to realize
how displeased the Lord was that they had asked for a king [17].

[18-19]† Exactly as predicted and requested, the Lord sent thunder and rain [18], an
event that would have damaged the heads of ripe grain, thereby causing grains
of wheat to fall to the ground and the harvest to be reduced. The timing and
nature of this occurrence were so striking that all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. Why were the
Israelites so moved by this event? Because they understood this disruption of
the God-ordained pattern for the natural world to mirror Israelís disruption of
the God-ordained pattern of relationship that was to exist between the nation
and the Lord. As Israel moved out of her proper relational orbit with the Lord,
the Lord had ordained that nature would move out of its proper orbit with the
people. The present demonstration terrified the Israelites, for they understood
it to be a precursor of the more severe disturbances of nature prescribed in
the Torah. The event produced the desired effect, a contrite confession of sin
[19]. It is important to note here that the request for a king was not in
itself sinful; the Torah envisioned a day in which Israel would decide to have
a monarchy and made provisions for the establishment of this institution [see
Gen. 17:6; Deut. 17:14-20]. But for Israel to entrust its future to a human deliverer
instead of anchoring it in their relationship with the Lord was both wicked and
futile. Appropriately, Israel asked Samuel to pray that the Lord would not
strike them all dead [19].

Conclusion Ė God Is In Control:†
1 Samuel 12:20-25.

[20]† And Samuel said
to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not
turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. [21]† And do not turn aside after empty things that
cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. [22]† For the LORD will not forsake his people, for
his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for
himself. [23]† Moreover, as for me, far
be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you,
and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. [24]† Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully
with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. [25]† But if you still do wickedly, you shall be
swept away, both you and your king."†
[ESV]

Relying on the pattern of history, Samuel allayed Israelís
fears of imminent destruction. Israel had sinned many times in the past, yet
the Lord had mercifully and patiently endured their misconduct. He had
responded this way before and would do so again for his great nameís sake not because of Israelís worthiness.
Israelís previous efforts had never been the basis for Godís selection of the
nation, and their failures would not send Him away. The nation had not chosen
this relationship with the Lord; nevertheless, because of it Israel possessed
inescapable and eternal responsibilities. The nationís ongoing tasks were
threefold: to serve the Lord with all your heart [21,24]; to fear the Lord
[24]; and to consider what great things He has done for you [24]. This final
task involved expectantly looking for evidences of the Lordís presence in the
arena of national life, and giving due recognition to Him for the attendant
blessings. Taken as a whole, these three obligations required a total
involvement of each person; they mandated external, observable activity as well
as internal motivations, attitudes, and perceptions. Deities other than Yahweh
might prove enticing, but they are all useless idols. Being nonentities, they
offered no benefits and certainly no deliverance [21]. As a Levite in the
tradition of Moses, Samuel possessed two additional responsibilities, prayer
and instruction. The Torah required Levites to instruct the people in the
Lordís Law [Deut. 24:8; 33:10]. Likewise, Samuel was duty-bound to pray for
Israel. Throughout his lifetime Samuel had been a prophet like Moses; thus it
was appropriate and even morally necessary that Samuel should follow Mosesí
example of prayer for the nationís welfare. Thus, for Samuel to fail to pray Ė
that is, to bring the peopleís needs before God Ė or to fail to teach Ė to
bring Godís words before the people Ė would be a sin [23]. The final sentence
Samuel spoke to an all-Israelite assembly is perhaps the most ominous of his
career. In eight Hebrew words it summarizes the judgments of the Torah and
foresees the ultimate futility of Israelís experiment with kingship. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be
swept away, both you and your king [25]. The message is a pointed one, and
strikes at the heart of Israelís problem. The nationís real threat was not
external, that is, one that could be faced and defeated by a king who would go
out and lead Israel in battle. Rather it was internal and spiritual. The
malignant faith condition that caused Israel to demand a king in preference to
restoring a relationship with God was what would ultimately cause the nation to
be swept away. No king, however mighty, could stop the tide of divine judgment
that would roll against Israel in the day of the Lordís wrath.

Questions for Discussion:

1.†††††††† We can come to God for the right
reasons and even with good motives but still be in disobedience to Him. This
was the case with the elders of Israel. They were concerned about who would
lead the nation after Samuel died. They knew that Samuelís sons were not
capable of leading them rightly as Godís covenant people. But the elders made a
crucial mistake. What was it? Do you make the same mistake when you come to God
with good concerns for yourself, your family, your church, etc.?

2.†††††††† Why did God tell Samuel to go ahead
with the eldersí request? What did God intend to teach the people of Israel?
Have you seen God act this way in your life or in the life of your church? What
did you learn?

3.†††††††† In chapter 12, God, through Samuel,
confronts His people with their sin in requesting an earthly king. Their
fundamental sin was that they had forsaken and forgotten their covenant
relationship with their sovereign Lord. The essence of all sin by believers is
lack of faith in their covenant God. Think about the above statement in
relation to your own Christian walk. Do you see how your willful sinful
decisions are a result of a lack of trust in God as both your loving Lord and
faithful Provider? What instruction and warning do verses 12:14-15 provide for living
a life of faith? Think about how you can grow in your ability to fear, serve
and obey the Lord.

4.†††††††† What does verse 12:24 add to the
instruction given in 12:14? Make it a focus of your devotional time this week
to consider what great things He has done for you.

5.†††††††† Why did God remain faithful to His
people [12:22]? What does for his great nameís sake mean? How is it a
comfort to you that Godís faithfulness to you does not rely upon what you do
but on who He is?

6.†††††††† What two responsibilities did Samuel
have as a leader of his people [12:23]? Arenít these two responsibilities
essential for any spiritual leader? Thank about your responsibility to exercise
these two tasks in whatever leadership role God provides to you (church,
family, relationships, etc.).